CorallineAlgae
Aquarium Advice Addict
I do it the same way the others do it by rinsing it in tank water. I just fill a fish keeper (convalescent home) with tank water and squeeze it out as best as I can a couple of times. It may seem ridiculous but honestly, it's better to have a 'mostly' clean filter pad with live bacteria than a very clean pad with no bacteria and left over chlorine that may get to the bio-media. Your way isn't wrong or bad. It's just a little bit riskier. The idea is to do what works for you and your fish. We only mention it because you're having trouble with your fish and we want to pass on every bit of advice we can to help out.